With whitetail deer season in full swing, Saskatchewan Conservation Officers are reminding hunters that leaving animal carcasses in ditches or on private land is not just disrespectful; it comes with a hefty fine. 

Lindsey Leko, a senior conservation officer in the Weyburn area, says his office receives reports every year of hunters field-dressing deer and dumping the unwanted remains on rural roads or approaches. 

"They'll take it home, dress it in their garage and then what they do is they take all of the waste, the hide and the head and the legs and all the entrails, put it in a bag and take it out in the middle of nowhere and dump it," said Leko. 

Leko noted that officers encounter five or six of these illegal dump sites annually. He believes some hunters dump the remains to avoid landfill fees, while others operate under the misconception that they are helping nature. 

"I think that people just assume that, you know, everything's going to get all cleaned up by the coyotes," Leko said. "But I think what we've got to start recognizing is some people don't want coyotes around their place. People with kids, people with livestock, the last thing they want are coyotes coming around."  

The practice is classified as littering, and officers are taking a zero-tolerance approach. The penalty for dumping a carcass is a $580 fine, and Leko emphasized that no warnings are issued for this offence. 

"We just ask hunters, you know, just be mindful of that because it's giving the hunters a bad name," Leko said. 

The solution, according to Leko, is simple. Hunters do not need to take remains to a special facility; they can simply double-bag the waste and place it in their regular household garbage for curbside or landfill disposal. 

"It’s pretty unsightly out there, and we just have to be smarter than that," he added. 

If the public witnesses illegal dumping, they are encouraged to call the Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line or their local field office. Leko noted that having a licence plate number or details that identify the owner helps officers lay charges. 

Whitetail deer season runs until December 2nd.